The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-14
;VERYSEMBARRASSINvG,
THE PRESIDENT IN rRoUDLr.
= 7TTF3 n flI-'1-
Ho Must Decide 1
:. - = ~. = Ias5'l = -lEses' Ait175
Ho Must Decide tho Quarrel Dstwson Lamar
Y and Bpnfks-Ono or tho Other Must re- y
sigu-Sparks' swelled load aud Lam. " I,
nrs Flcry Temporal Big Row. i II z

WASHINGTON, D. O., Nov. 13.-The all.
absorbing topic Of conversation here Ii
tho trouble between Land Commissioner
Sparks and Secretary OF the Interior La.
mar, which will result undoubtedly in the
retirement Of the Commissioner to pri.
vate lie. Secretary Lamar han frequently y
been called upon 10 reverse decisions Of
the Land Commissioner, and ill.feelinga
have grown out Of tho matter. In reply
to an impertinent lotter from Sparkle, Mr.,
Lamar w1ote last Friday a very caustlc
letter. After discussing the legal phasea
OF the question at issue, ho informed Mr..
Sparks that both Of them cannot remain
in tho Department, and proposed that the
matter be left with the President. Thus
Il is that Mr.. Cleveland Is forced 10 decide
the matter as to which OF the two mem.
bers Of his Administration must 10. Il ia
understood that Sparks will be REQ uested
to resign. The history Of the trouble 10 as
follows: stS5EEy yTl's. u VI I,Ia'y a J,
In August laat Commissioner Sparks, in
response 10 q requeHt for the Secretary to
adjust the land grant Of the Chicago, st.
Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad
Company, made an adjuHtmont Of the
grant. , 4: }5SI NJ 4
In his adjustment, however, the Com.
missioner had held that the road was not
entitled to indemnity for Losses sustained
within the granted limits by reason OF
prior grants and reservations. On October
7, alter O careful examination OF the cues.
tions involved, and after hearing argu.
ments from counsel Of the road, ths Score.
tary rendered an elaborate decision, In
which he directed the Commissioner to
forthwith readjust the grant, allowing in.
demnity Tor the grants and reservations,
thus completely reversing Mr.. Sparks de.
cision. This decision was mandatory up.
on Commissioner spnrks, but instead Of
complying With 1t the Commissioner with
held action upon tho grant, and instead
prepared letter to the Secretary, in which
he asked for review OF his (the secreta.
rry's) decision in the case with view to
It's reversal. In other ords, he asked the
Secretary to reverse hi .nself, and gave rea.
sons why he should do 90, which reasons
the Secretary reviewed in the letter pub.
lished. ,-1, " ia .gJ:,.3'3!!ss, .s;.,gITs
An official Of tho depnrtm ont says that
the secretary's letter WAS published as
nnal answer to the numerous criticisms Of
Secretary Lamar given to the press By
Commissioner Sparks. / He added: "The
truth Is that Sparks has been reckless in
ctiticislng Lamar to newspaper correspon-
DENTS He did not seem to care whether
bis grievances were published IN Rspubli.
can or Democratic papers, Now, upon
the eve Of retiring from tho department,
Secretary Lamar, no doubt, decided that
1t was due to himself and his administra-
tlon to vindicate himself againBt the nu.
merous complaints ard Y criticisms of
SPARKS uttered and published on divers
OCCASIONS. q a-.5liL5 !, e y 3l:
It is generally admitted that Mr.. Sparks
must step down end out. There seems to
be no two opinions on this question,
though there are some who insint that Mr..
Sparks is stubborn enough to resist even
the President in the Issue raised, This
idea ia based upon Mr.. Sparks' assump.
ton that the people of tho country are
sustaining him and not the Secretary. Not
very long ago, in an interview, Conmis.
sioner Sparks hold that the people of the
country were with him. Relying upon
public support it is suggested that he may
refuse to 60 out until actually forced out.
He has made himself nuisance not
only to the Secretary's office, but to Con.
gressmen, as many do business with his
offico. He oftsner acted like bully than
a gentleman, and his threat TO put a gen.
tleman out OF hia public cf1ice has not
been inirequont. 81 .gIss:: 3! 1:y,,7I2 4,3'
~ The President Is lei. in about as embar-
raising position Us Sparks himself by the
Lamar tour. He can no longer dodge the
question Of dealing with Sparks, as he
should long since have done. Tho chances
arc that Sparkle will make it uncomfortable
for the President if the latter asks for his
resignation, since sps,ks' irisnds arc in
aistins that be had every rea.on for be.
lievics that the President would continue
to stand by him. The story 10 that lead
ing Western Representative went to the
President, at tho instance Of Sparks, and
talked over the pending differences with
Lamar, and was assured by the President
that he expected to support sparks, as.
signing as enc reason ihat Sparks was
making many votes. e. s5j 81. " ;s-,5Gs